Pedunculate oak
Quercus robur
Family · Fagaceae · Harmless
The oak of the humid northwest, the one that makes the woods of Minho and Gerês. A leaf with rounded lobes and acorns on a long stalk, the detail behind its scientific name.
Oak woods · Uplands · Streams and ditches
Also known asEnglish oak, common oak
How to tell it
A leaf with rounded lobes and two small ears at the base, almost stalkless. The acorns, by contrast, hang on a long stalk. Deciduous.
What it is confused with
Pyrenean oak
Quercus pyrenaica
Pyrenean oak has a bigger leaf with deep pointed lobes, softly hairy on both sides, and keeps its dead leaves through winter. Pedunculate oak has a smooth leaf and drops them all.
Open sheet →What it is for
Construction and cooperage timber for centuries, and the acorn fed livestock across the northwest. A mature oak wood supports more species than any other Portuguese forest.